August 4, 2014 marks the 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War, and September 10, 2014 marks the 75th Anniversary of the start of the Second World War. Canadians contributed in many ways to our country's great efforts in the First and Second World Wars. The struggle involved virtually the whole country and made enormous demands on Canadians, whether they were involved in the actual fighting or remained on the home front to work in industry or farming to support the war effort.

By the end of the First World War, more than 650,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders had served, while over 66,000 lost their lives and more than 170,000 were wounded. This was an enormous contribution from a population of less than 8 million in 1914.

By the end of the Second World War, more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders had served. Of these more than 45,000 gave their lives, and another 55,000 were wounded.

The hot weather is now upon us and work on the 6 km long, stacked loop multi-use trail system is progressing well. The main trail is cut and cleared and crews have just finished laying gravel on the pathways. They now need some time to smooth out some of the areas along the trail and do some trail grooming. A number of beach access points have been created to allow for safe access to both the north and south shore of the island from designated areas along the trail but work is still required to complete the stairways. The next step is to create a small parking area for visitors at the start of the island and to transform the 700m of former roadway that crossed the centre of Robinsons Island. It will be made into a much narrower trail, giving all pathways on the island the same cohesive look and feel. It is expected that the multi-use trail will be available for use in August—watch for a further announcement! While a lot of work has taken place to date, there are still a number of important components remaining in the Robinsons Island project. Asphalt patching on the road leading to the island will begin in the near future to improve the road surface. Also, now that the multi-use trail is nearing completion, work has begun on the creation of the mountain biking technical features. Parks Canada continues to work closely with Cycling PEI to plan the design and construction of these spurs. Branching off from the main trail, these well-marked sections will be equipped with beginner-intermediate level technical mountain biking features. While some will be in place in the near future, all of the features will be completed by spring of 2015. Over the next few months, an ecological restoration plan will be developed for the site where the former campground once was. Making gains in ecological integrity is a big priority for Parks Canada. This project supports Canada's National Conservation Plan (NCP) by taking practical action in the three priority areas of conserving Canada’s lands and waters, restoring Canada’s ecosystems, and connecting Canadians to nature. A major component of any future plan will be the planting of native Acadian Forest tree species to encourage a rejuvenation of the original Island forest ecosystem. New interpretive installations will be developed for the trail over the next year with expected completion by spring of 2015. Some of these will be located at observation points and will have viewing scopes to enable visitors to explore the spectacular coastal views. With its rich cultural and natural history, there are lots of exciting stories to tell and Parks Canada will be working to devise an engaging visitor experience for those looking to explore Robinsons Island. It is anticipated that a grand opening for the new trail system on Robinsons Island will be held next spring when the mountain biking features and interpretive aspects have been completed. For more information, please contact us at 902-672-6350.

Our local resident Alison Storey and Art Instructor will be featured in a Gallery 18 Exhibition and sale of woodcut and linocut prints, collographs and etchings. Friday, August 1- August 16th. Special Opening reception will be held 5pm to 8pm on Friday, August 1st with refreshments included.

New to the Community of North Shore - Senior's Health and Wellness Program on Wednesday mornings starting at 11am. Location is 2784 Bayshore Rd. in Stanhope Place.The Eastern Region Sport & Recreation Council in partnership with go!PEI are excited to bring the go!Seniors Active programs to the eastern end of PEI. The Seniors programs are designed for individuals who fall in the 50+ age range (however, any age is welcome), and focus on maintaining a healthy level of physical activity for all ages and abilities. Programs vary per community and may focus on resistance training, falls prevention, chair yoga, tai chi, balancing, healthy cooking classes, or water aerobics. This program is free for all to attend, and all are welcome!

The Community of North Shore is pleased to announce that the North Shore Community Centre will play host to a Dino and Friends Evening of fun on Monday, August 18th starting at 7:30pm location is 2120 Covehead Rd., Rte 25. Special Guests: Anne and Alfred Morais Dino Dunsford and Friends Ceilidh at The North Shore with a special Guest. A variety of music will be performed by award-winning artist Dino Dunsford backed up by Judy Lowe on Piano, Heartz Godkin on Bass, and Bob Gagnon on drums, Dunsford will offer up selections from Country, Gospel , Irish and Rock n Roll. Covering such artists as: Elvis Presley, Johhny Cash, Johhny Reid, and many others. They will then have a guest artist to round out the evening.

Dino Dunsford first sang in public in 1966 in a university variety show and hasn’t looked back. He has been involved in many genres of music, including: Rock N Roll, Country, Irish, and most recently Gospel. He has shared the stage with Chubby Checker and John Allen Cameron. Dunsford has sung the national anthems at many functions, including the NHL Ottawa Senators AHL team home games. Dino was voted the best male vocalist for his province in 1989 and won the best Gospel CD award in 2004. During his career, Dino has released 5 CD/Albums. Dino puts a lot of energy into his shows and loves to get the audience singing and clapping along.

The cost of the tickets will be $10 and tickets will be available from committee members and at the Community of North Shore Municipal Office. A cash bar, 50/50 tickets and snacks will be available for sale.

Dig up your pail and shovel and come out to Prince Edward Island National Park on July 19th to take part in this year’s Great Island Sandcastle Competition at Brackley Beach! Parks Canada invites people of all ages to test their beach bucket building skills as they create sand sculptures of all shapes and sizes in this fun, family-friendly event. This year’s theme is the Charlottetown Conference of 1864. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; those interested in taking part can register as a group, individual or family and prizes will be awarded to the best entries.

Held in honour of Parks Day, a national celebration of parks and historic sites all across the country, this event is perfect for everyone, whether they consider themselves to be a novice builder or a professional sandcastle architect. Maurice Bernard, local artist, sandcastle sculptor and host of PEI National Park’s summer program, “Sensational Sandcastles”, will be on-hand to judge the entries and to offer helpful building tips to budding builders. Fancy equipment isn’t needed for participation, just your pail, shovel, imagination and lots of sunscreen!

Those needing a break from the sand can check out PEI National Park’s Discovery Dome between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and take part in fun, educational learning experiences. Get up close and personal with a lobster, find out more about the endangered Piping Plover or participate in the Xplorers Program activities.

Later that evening, a French campfire program, “Histoires de homards” will be offered at Cavendish Campground. This new program tells the story of an “old salt” who needs help teaching a rookie to find his sea-legs. For those consulting the summer interpretation schedule, the regular Cavendish offering of “Sensational Sandcastles” is relocated to Brackley Beach for the day due to the competition.

Regular Parks Canada entry fees apply.

Quick Facts

· Parks Day is celebrated annually in parks and historic sites across Canada.

· Through initiatives like Parks Day, Parks Canada is supporting Canada's National Conservation Plan by taking concrete action to connect Canadians to nature. · Special events like Parks Day enhance visitor experience and facilitate the creation of personal connections with Parks Canada places which, in turn, help to foster a “community of stewards” among Canadians of all ages. Quote

“Parks Canada is leading the way in our communities and in Canada in the protection of natural heritage and in the provision of real and inspiring experiences and learning opportunities. We are pleased to host events such as the Great Island Sandcastle Competition which support the Government’s plan to build lasting connections between Canadians and nature.” Karen Jans, Superintendent, Prince Edward Island Field Unit

Next week, there will be two big events at Stanhope Place, the former Stanhope School. On Monday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m., former PEI Premier Alex B. Campbell and Wade MacLauchlan, author of The Premier Who Rocked the Cradle, will make a joint presentation, followed by a social hour with strawberries and ice cream and a book signing and sale.On Wednesday, July 16, the Stanhope Heritage Association will have its big annual fundraiser for Stanhope Place, in the form of a walkathon, bike ride or run along the Stanhope promenade and the National Park highway. There's an option for everyone, and fun for all, including a strawberry and ice cream social. Everyone is welcome to take part in this great opportunity to support and maintain our former school. Registration starts at 6:30 pm, Wednesday, July 16. School is Cool Series In conjunction with 2014 celebrations, the North Shore Community has undertaken a project the heritage of schools in the three districts of Covehead Road, Stanhope and West Covehead. Panels featuring heritage photos and information have been prepared, with input from community members and former students, and will be installed at the sites of each of the three former schools. The Community is sponsoring a School is Cool Series on three consecutive Wednesday nights, beginning July 23rd, with a round-table panel of former students who will reminisce and share heritage insights. Residents,visitors and former students are encouraged to attend and to share recollections. All sessions will be at Stanhope Place, the former Stanhope School, at 7:30 pm. July 23. Stanhope School Clifford Shaw, Joe McCabe and other former students will speak. Longtime teachers Shirley Lawson and Ida Carpenter will attend. July 30. West Covehead School Muriel (Frizzel) Bennett, Fred MacCann, Gloria (MacLauchlan) Hastie and other former students will speak. August 6. Covehead Road School Lorne Kielly, Doreen (Birt) MacInnis, Wanson Hemphill and other former students and possibly teachers will speak. Each session will be followed by a social gathering, complete with strawberries and ice cream.

Last night was a Community of North Shore Public Meeting - it was a well attended meeting with approximately 50 people, and for a nice evening a great turn out. The agenda was simple covering a Chair message, review of enumeration, review of a six month budget comparison and review and request for Community Services input. Below are the minutes from the meeting, followed by the budget, community services form, and community services presentation, if you anyone is interested in submitting ideas to Council for review please use the community services form.